


what love looks like

by pearlaqua



Series: what is love? [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, a smart samoyed, bad wordplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21641620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlaqua/pseuds/pearlaqua
Summary: Jaemin has a Samoyed named Love.And Jeno looks like love.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Series: what is love? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842253
Comments: 44
Kudos: 242
Collections: NOMIN FAN WEEK, ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	what love looks like

**Author's Note:**

> (#00179)  
> Jaemin has a Samoyed named Love. One day, Jaemin lost Love when they’re on their routine walk in the park. After looking it everywhere, Jaemin found her sitting under a tree with a boy who has a beautiful eye smile.

Jaemin is a hopeless romantic.

He can’t help it. The idea of love, of a strong emotion that makes the world spin, still amazes him to this day. It doesn’t need a reason nor an explanation, it’s the most incomprehensible yet the most beautiful emotion. Love is the beginning, the ending and everything in between. It’s everything.

He has been in love before, a lot of times. He’s still fond of Yukhei and even now he likes Yangyang’s pictures on social media. There are other names he won’t say because it still hurts a little, and a pair of names he forgot because the feeling vanished as soon as it appeared. 

Jaemin’s love life is full of meetings and farewells, of happy and sad memories. It’s unfortunate, and the cycle repeats too often for anyone’s likeness. He has smiled at all his first kisses and cried at every goodbye, but he doesn’t regret any single tear.

It’s because of that painful process of illusions and disappointments that he grows, that he learns how to be less possessive and more carefree, not to jump into conclusions or rush into things.

He still believes he can have the perfect everlasting love story. Jaemin thinks it’s just a matter of time, he probably didn’t meet that person yet. And he’s more than prepared to hug and talk with everyone fate will put in his life before he crosses paths with the right one.

He’s ready to let someone break his heart again, because why would he have a heart if he restrains it to feel? Jaemin prefers a broken heart rather than an empty one.

Even if he’s twenty-four now and most single people of his age have lost all hope in love, he won’t. He wants to maintain his pure heart and won’t let this wicked world change it. He will always stay the same.

Still, sometimes Jaemin thinks the only traits he keeps are the bad ones.

He keeps reading love stories instead of working and drowns himself in romantic movies to detach from the universe when he has had a difficult day.

And he’s always daydreaming, loud honks and bumps are often in charge to bring him back to reality.

This time, his ground wire is the dog leash flying out of his hand.

It’s too late when he runs after his Samoyed.

He isn’t that worried though. It’s not the first time Love runs away from him; he can always find her again.

She likes the big fountain in the middle of the park, so that’s the place he is first headed to.

But Jaemin doesn’t find her there, neither he does at the basketball court nor at the duck pond. He is growing scared every second that goes by without seeing his dog, Love is everything to him.

Jaemin is running through the park when he spots Love under the shadow of a cherry tree, next to… oh.

_Oh._

Jaemin’s mouth falls open, and it’s not for the relieve he feels all over his body because he found his dog.

He just stares at the stranger who is petting Love’s head, perplexed by the handsome man with model-like features that fate put on his way. He can almost hear the angel choir and see the clouds disappearing by a sunray above him.

“I guess I found Love”, Jaemin blurts mesmerized at the sight.

The black-haired man looks at him with a confused expression, and it takes Jaemin a bunch of embarrassing seconds to find his voice and talk again.

“She is my dog; her name is Love. I just found her. I found Love. It’s not that I was talking about me falling in love with you at first sight. She is Love. My dog.”

The guy beams, displaying the most beautiful smile Jaemin has ever seen.

He has seen plenty of them, in real life or in movies, but no one can compare to those pair of eyes turning into crescent moons in addition to the lovely shape of his lips.

“Here you have,” says the stranger, handing Jaemin the leash. “Hope to see you again, Love,” he adds.

 _Hope to see you soon_ , Jaemin wants to reply, but he turns and walks away with a racing heart, heating cheeks…

And Love.

♡

Jaemin and Love are on their usual Sunday morning walk.

It's the right amount of peace he likes; too early for the kids to be playing outside and too late for the fitness people with their morning jogs, but it isn’t lonely either. The lazy sun kisses his head and a slight breeze messes with his golden locks as he reaches the fountain. Jaemin sits in the verge of it, takes a sip of his favorite coffee in the reusable cup he carries everywhere and then sighs in content.

However, the calm doesn’t last long because Love suddenly stands up from his side and runs to the left side of the park with no apparent reason.

Jaemin’s still thinking about whether it’s worth the running or not when the Samoyed barks back at him. And now he knows he’s supposed to follow her.

At first, Jaemin doesn’t understand the visible excitement showed in Love’s tail when she stops in front of a man sitting by the nearest cherry tree. It might be just a random stranger carrying a ham sandwich, it has happened before.

The smile he couldn’t forget in the entire week greets him warmly when he reaches his dog, and he understands.

“She likes you,” comments Jaemin, leaning on the tree.

“I’m a very likable person,” says the guy, smirking while stroking the dog’s fur with a hand.

Jaemin needs a second after that.

The thing is, he has a weakness for eye smiles, for people who are good with animals, and for guys who know how to flirt. The man in front of him reunites the three of them and more, because he also notices the fashionable sense of style for someone up on a Sunday at 9 AM.

“I’m Jeno," he adds with both hands now rubbing behind the dog’s ears, paying all his attention to her. Jaemin doesn’t blame him though, Love is pretty.

And maybe Love can see the beauty in Jeno too, because now she’s sitting on the man’s lap, above the open journal in his legs and practically cuddling with him.

Jaemin hopes the man wasn’t doing anything important in those pages because he doesn’t have extra money to fix any mess caused by Love and her dirty paws.

“I’m Jaemin… and she’s Love, guess you already know that,” replies the dog’s owner with his most charming smile, the one who always gain him discounts at the coffee shop.

Jeno nods and awkwardly tries to move his legs under the dog, chuckling when his attempt fails.

That’s when Jaemin remembers how heavy his Samoyed is, and he doesn’t want his most recent crush to be uncomfortable because of his big fur ball that still doesn’t acknowledge how grown up she is. He picks Love’s leash from the floor and pulls it slightly, but his silent signal fails because she just snuggles closer to Jeno.

He sighs and looks at the sky above him.

As his friend Seulgi once said; sometimes you gotta be bold.

“Love really needs her walk, the vet found her fat so, if she doesn’t want to leave your side…” Jaemin drags the last word, hoping for the other to catch his indirect.

And Love proves for the millionth time that she is the most intelligent dog on Earth when she leaves Jeno’s lap to grab her leash with her mouth and look at him with puppy eyes.

He blinks twice before smiling at her, in a brighter way than previously.

“How could I say no to Love?” Jeno says, quickly grabbing his things and standing up.

Jaemin notices they’re almost the same height, or perhaps he wins by an inch. He also discovers that his smile is even more breathtaking from close and how dangerous all of this is for his weak heart craving for affection.

Loves guides the walk, visibly happy with what she just made. Could have she planned all of this?

Jaemin shakes his head lightly, forcing himself to focus on this moment, on the guy walking next to him.

It’s easy to formulate the first question and to answer when it’s his turn, the conversation just flows. Suddenly the dogs’ topic changes to their favorite songs, then to Jeno’s cats and the building model one of them ruined yesterday, to end up talking about the last game Jaemin’s company is developing and the last time he volunteered.

They don’t notice time’s passing until Love tries to steal a burger from an old lady having a picnic with his family.

“We must go before Love really steals something. She must be hungry,” says Jaemin, swinging the leash from one side to the other.

Jeno nods. “Just let me…” he crouches and, instead of petting the Samoyed for the last time like Jaemin thought he would do, grabs the bone-shaped pet tag that hangs off Love’s collar. “I checked this the first time she came to me. Can I save her phone number?”

This time Jaemin also walk home with a racing heart and heating cheeks, but with a new message on his phone.

**_unknown number_ **

_love?_

♡

When Jaemin’s phone vibrates for the third time in two minutes, Donghyuck decides to ask.

“So, who is it?” he questions with scrutinizing eyes and a French fry at the tip of his lips.

Jaemin looks at his friend with a confused expression and his mouth full of pizza.

“You’re barely paying attention to me or the movie. Spill.”

Jaemin sighs. He can’t fool his best friend, so he settles for the truth.

“The guy who found Love in the park the other day.”

“I guess you found love too,” mumbles Donghyuck at an almost inaudible volume. But they know each other too well for Jaemin not to be expecting this, so he grabs a cushion just in case his friend keeps bothering him.

The phone vibrates again.

“Reply to your boyfriend! I don’t-,” Donghyuck words are interrupted by a pillow hitting him on the face. A second later, a fry with ketchup flies across the room, landing on the carpet.

“Oops, my bad,” says his friend, shrugging.

“You clean that.”

“I’m pretty sure Love needs a bit of ketchup to keep his diet balanced.”

At this point, Jaemin just can roll his eyes.

“Aw, Nana… don’t be like that! I’m being a good friend showing interest in you!” exclaims Donghyuck as he crosses the narrow distance between them and hugs his friend tightly.

“No, you’re being annoying,” replies the now flustered boy, right before pushing his friend away.

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to date him. I know you! Do you have any pictures? No, better, do you know his birth date?”

Jaemin whines.

It will be a long night.

♡

**jen**

_love, are you going to the park tomorrow?_

**jaem**

_how many times do i have to say this is MY PHONE not LOVE’S?_

**jen**

_your words can’t stop me because i can’t read_

_but let’s meet tomorrow at the park_

_i bought dog treats_

**jaem**

_……………ok_

_we go every wknd btw_

**jen**

_see u, love_

♡

Jaemin won’t lie, Jeno is good company. He’s funny without being annoying and he asks the right questions to know he’s listening to you without being too intrusive. He gets along very well with Love too, it’s as if…

Jaemin shakes his head to stop his train of thoughts and checks his outfit for the ninth time that morning. Usually, he doesn’t care about what is he wearing during their routine walk with Love at the park, but since he will meet Jeno halfway there, he can’t leave his apartment in pajamas and a jacket.

“You’re late,” says Jeno when Jaemin arrives at the fountain, half an hour later than agreed.

He is about to excuse himself, but Jeno is already petting Love and he lets it slide for his own good.

“What is the basket for?” Jeno questions when Love is running to bring back a tennis ball of his.

Jaemin sighs and tries to hide the item behind him, suddenly embarrassed about it.

“I’ll visit my parents today so I baked cupcakes, but I was trying a new recipe and I didn’t measure it well and I made cupcakes for a regiment and I thought you may want to taste them since you said you liked sweets but now I think about it perhaps you don’t like cupcakes and I’m a fool for-“

“Jaemin, breath.” 

He inhales deep, filling his lungs with the fresh air, and exhales the exact moment Love crashes into Jeno, making him smile brighter than before.

And Jaemin is out of breath again.

“Jaem, will you let me eat the cupcakes? You’ve been carrying them for like an hour,” Jeno says the moment they sit by the duck pond and Love runs away to bark at the poor birds.

Jaemin sighs, but he opens the basket and lends a blue velvet cupcake to Jeno. Then closes his eyes, he doesn’t want to see the disgust on the other’s face.

“This is amazing!” Jeno exclaims at the first bite.

“Really?” asks Jaemin, opening just one eye to find Jeno’s signature smile.

“It’s the best cupcake I’ve ever tasted,” replies the man before taking another bite.

Jaemin watches him eat with attention, trying to find out if the other is lying or not. He gives up when Jeno asks for another one.

It’s a fact Love doesn’t know how big she is, so neither of them is surprised when she comes running to them and throws herself into Jeno’s lap, making the boy dirt his face with the blue cream of his third cupcake.

Love doesn’t give him a chance to react because the exact second after she starts to lick his face. 

Jaemin laughs until his dog calms down and Jeno hugs her, burying his face on the fur before looking at him.

“You both look-alike,” Jaemin says at an impulse, wanting to bite his mouth at the instant.

“Are you saying I’m cute?” Jeno teases, and Jaemin can feel the heat going up to his face.

He’s trying hard to think in a not-embarrassing response, when Jeno’s phone rings and he excuses himself to answer.

“Sorry, I’m supposed to be at work today,” Jeno says with an apologetic face after finishing the call.

“But it’s Saturday,” Jaemin mumbles with a confused expression. Why is Jeno at the park then?

Jeno’s phone rings again and he rolls his eyes, cutting the call immediately.

“Tell my boss that,” Jeno answers before standing up. “I’ll make it up to you. Tuesday. Text me if you agree.”

♡

After their first proper date, Jeno refuses to let Jaemin walk home alone.

It’s for safety reasons, of course, not because he wants to spend more time with him. And they’re holding hands because it’s cold, not because they crave for each other’s contact.

“So, what is your favorite flower?” Jeno asks when they're waiting for the green light.

“Why? You want to gift me a bouquet?” Jaemin replies tilting his head to the side, aiming to see the man’s reaction instead of his building at the end of the street.

“Maybe,” Jeno shrugs.

“It’s baby’s breath.”

Jeno chuckles. “I was expecting red roses or something like that.”

“I’m full of surprises, Lee Jeno,” Jaemin playfully says before winking. “Along with red roses, they mean everlasting love.”

“And you want that,” Jeno says with a fond smile on his face.

Jaemin nods and feels the embarrassment going up his cheeks for the millionth time since he met the other man. “I must go, we reached my place,” he whispers as he turns to enter the building.

“Love, wait.”

Jeno holds Jaemin’s wrist the immediate second after he gives a step away, and they both know what will happen next.

Even if Jaemin has expected to kiss Jeno between cherry blossoms and fallen leaves, with children’s laughs in the background and his dog playing around them. He doesn’t care if it’s under a cloudy night sky, with loud horns as their background and the changing colors of the semaphore glowing on their skins.

Jaemin takes one step forward and the unnoticeable height difference between them makes them stand face to face, noses almost touching. He can sense Jeno’s unsteady breath against his, and maybe their heartbeats would be audible for each other if it wasn’t for the noisy street.

Jaemin flinches when a hand touches his cheek, but the thumb rubbing his skin calms him again.

“Can I…?”

Jeno can’t finish his question. Jaemin’s lips crash into his and vanish his words, giving an answer to everything he has been wondering for days.

It’s barely a contact, a mere caress, until Jeno leans in and makes it a proper kiss.

Jaemin puts his arms around Jeno’s neck, pulling him closer and closer and closer. Jeno’s hand at his back does the same and his soft but demanding lips are covering it up for the words they don’t say, moving at the rhythm of a song that’s just starting.

A honk sounds loud next to them and Jeno can’t contain a chuckle, but he doesn’t let enough air slide in between them before kissing him again.

It’s Jaemin who pulls away.

He quickly leaves a peck on Jeno’s cheek and turns away, walking fast to his place.

“Sleep well!” Jeno yells.

As if Jaemin would be able to sleep that night.

♡

They aren’t each other’s first kiss, first love, first anything, but Jeno slowly becomes everything Jaemin has always dreamt of.

Jeno is bike dates alongside Han river and sunsets full of kisses. He’s messily dancing to radio songs while waiting for the pancakes to get done and the lazy morning sun failing at its heating job so they can hug a little longer. He’s long walks around the park with Love between them and cuddles under the cherry blossoms. Jeno is crescent moons and full moons and the entire galaxy.

Jeno doesn’t have to voice it for Jaemin to feel loved. It’s implicit when he memorizes his Starbucks order and buys a box of the youngest favorite cereal for all the breakfasts they spend together, or when he gifted him a baby’s breath pot because they will last longer than the ones in a bouquet. It’s in the “good night, i’ll dream of you” text Jeno sends at 3 AM when he’s working late.

It’s evident when Jeno trips on Love’s leash and the next second his knees are on the floor, his arms around the dog and he playfully adds, “Nana, I fell in Love.”

Jaemin laughs and throws himself onto Jeno.

Maybe he fell too.

Jaemin has never memorized a definition for “love”. It’s again his beliefs.

But when he's about to text Jeno a picture of them together, saying he looks like Love, Jaemin realizes he doesn’t know if he should add or not the capital letter on his dog’s name. Because he means it both ways.

Jaemin sends the photo and instantly types again.

**jaem**

_jeno, i think i_ _🐶_ _you._

**jen**

_i love you too_

♡

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading this!!!💕💕💕💕💕 it's my first time joining a fic fest so i'm excited and nervous about posting this;; but i hope you liked it!! also i wanna thank my prompter and my beta because they made this possible uwu
> 
> [edit: i sent this to nomin fanweek so if you're here because of that, thank you so much and please check the other fics too !!  
> here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/neopearlaqua) uwu]


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